pre-Beatles pop music

by Butterfield Fri Dec 10, 2021 4:45 pm

I spent some time yesterday evening reading about late 50s/early 60s pop acts such as Billy Fury, Tommy Steele, Marty Wilde, Joe Brown, Jess Conrad etc.* They're all names I know well and I know selected songs by them, but its an era I often overlook and forget about, thinking that pop music really started with the Beatles. But these acts had their own early media hype and screaming girlie fans too, and some pleasant songs. The one thing is certain: looking at their discographies and the dates of their respective successes, the Beatles really did go on to "kill" these acts.

Erm, discuss.

*And Cliff.

by Butterfield Fri Dec 10, 2021 4:53 pm

A lot of them were managed ~~and "exploited" and "groomed"~~ by Larry Parnes, who knew what the teenage audience wanted. Funny that these types existed even 60+ years ago.

A flamboyant gay man, Parnes' approach was to select, and then groom, handsome young men who would be attractive to a teenage audience. He also gave them new stage names, which were rumoured to reflect what he considered to be their sexual characteristics. Among those he managed with at least some degree of success were Billy Fury (originally Ron Wycherley), Vince Eager (Roy Taylor), Dickie Pride (Richard Knellar), Lance Fortune (Chris Morris), Duffy Power (Ray Howard), Johnny Gentle (John Askew), Terry Dene (Terence Williams), Nelson Keene (Malcolm Holland), and Georgie Fame (Clive Powell). He also managed Tommy Bruce, as well as Joe Brown, who he unsuccessfully tried to persuade to change his name to Elmer Twitch.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Parnes

by **The Call of the Wendigo** Fri Dec 10, 2021 6:01 pm

We did a running commentary on a Billy Fury album in July: https://hallofthewendigo.forumotion.com/t2110-billy-fury-the-sound-of-fury-1960?highlight=Billy+fury Excited

Sadly, it wasn't great. bawl

by **The Call of the Wendigo** Fri Dec 10, 2021 6:20 pm

I do feel we need to once more celebrate the rubber-legged majesty of Vince Taylor.

by **The Call of the Wendigo** Fri Dec 10, 2021 6:21 pm

The Call of the Wendigo wrote:We did a running commentary on a Billy Fury album in July: https://hallofthewendigo.forumotion.com/t2110-billy-fury-the-sound-of-fury-1960?highlight=Billy+fury

Sadly, it wasn't great.

However, I do like Wondrous Place.

by **The Call of the Wendigo** Fri Dec 10, 2021 6:24 pm

And it's impossible not to love Johnny Kidd and the Pirates' Shakin' All Over.

by Butterfield Sat Dec 11, 2021 12:09 am

The Call of the Wendigo wrote:
The Call of the Wendigo wrote:We did a running commentary on a Billy Fury album in July: https://hallofthewendigo.forumotion.com/t2110-billy-fury-the-sound-of-fury-1960?highlight=Billy+fury

Sadly, it wasn't great.

However, I do like Wondrous Place.

I didn't know that was by Billy Fury, yet I know it really well - I think from adverts and such. I've just checked and it only got to number 25 in the charts, in 1960, so wasn't even one of his bigger hits.

by Butterfield Sat Dec 11, 2021 12:12 am

Looking at photos he aged really quickly, but he'd been ill for years and died aged only 42. I think he might have been an orange person judging by some of the black and white photos. shifty

pre-Beatles pop music F246f9ad4ead65d3d07f491b770383e0--billy-fury-life

by Butterfield Sat Dec 11, 2021 12:14 am

His look from 60 years ago would probably pass for a popstar today.

pre-Beatles pop music Billy-Fury-was-known-as-Britain-s-blond-British-Elvis-2874950